Confluence
Confluence
an exhibition of paintings by Jess Hartley
217 E. 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
Opening Reception July 29th 6pm – 10pm
Gallery Open July 29th through July 31st, 2011
Hours: Friday 10am-10pm
Saturday 10am-8pm
Sunday 10am-6pm
Painting: a process, a reflection, an expression.
With the series “Confluence,” Jess Hartely explores all-over abstraction. She begins her work by creating a series of thin layers from which the painting begins to emerge and take on its own form. Depth and color develop as the painting is built up with each layer. She uses masonite board because it resists the water and does not absorb it like canvas would. This extended period of fluidity allows her to explore risk and uncertainty. For Hartley, abstraction is all about the experiment. The work in this series is rooted in Hartley’s own imagination, but follows the rules of experimental process that she has developed.
Working with water reminds Jess Hartley that everything in life is uncertain, and that there will always be a certain amount of uncontrollability. It keeps her paintings free and spontaneous. There is always the urge to try to control the water, harness it and direct it, but in the end gravity will have its way. The painting evolves as it dries, and in the process there could be a hundred different paintings. Working spontaneously is about giving up control.
